The 1997 USISL A-League was an American Division II league run by the United Systems of Independent Soccer Leagues during the summer of 1997.

Overview

At the end of the

1996 A-League The 1996 A-League season was the seventh and final season of the American Professional Soccer League, A-League. In 1997, the league merged to form the A-League (1995–2004), USISL A-League. Regular season A significant number of postponed mat ...

season, the U.S. second division A-League collapsed. Six of the seven teams in the A-League then joined the

USISL United Soccer League (USL), formerly known as United Soccer Leagues, is a soccer league in the United States and Canada. It organizes several men's and women's leagues, both professional and amateur. Men's leagues currently organized are the ...

which had three leagues in 1996, beginning with the third division USISL Select League. With the collapse of the U.S. second division and the transfer of most of its teams to the USISL, the USISL reorganized its divisions to include the new teams. It moved most of the old second division USISL Select League, plus a few new teams, up to a second division level and merged the old A-League teams into this new U.S. second division which was renamed the USISL A-League.

Regular season

Northeast Division

Atlantic Division

Central Division

Pacific Division

Division Semi-finals

Northeast Semifinal 1

''Long Island advances to the Division final''

Northeast Semifinal 2

''Montreal advances to the Division final'' ----

Atlantic Semifinal 1

''Carolina advances to the Division final''

Atlantic Semifinal 2

''Hershey advances to the Division final'' ----

Central Semifinal 1

''New Orleans advances to the Division final''

Central Semifinal 2

''Milwaukee advances to the Division final'' ----

Pacific Semifinal 1

''Seattle advances to the Division final''

Pacific Semifinal 2

''Vancouver advances to the Division final''

Division Finals

Northeast Division final

Atlantic Division final

Central Division final

Pacific Division final

Conference finals

Eastern Conference

''The Carolina Dynamo advance.''

Western Conference

''The Milwaukee Rampage advance, winning two out of three games.''

Final

MVP: Carmine Isacco, Milwaukee Rampage

Points leaders

Honors

* MVP: Doug Miller * Leading goal scorer: Doug Miller * Leading goalkeeper: Dusty Hudock * Rookie of the Year:

Stern John Stern John, CM (born 30 October 1976) is a Trinidadian football manager and former player who is currently managing Saint Lucia. He managed Anguilla from 2020 to 2022. He previously played for a number of American and English football clubs tha ...

* Coach of the Year: Bob Lilley *First Team All League **Goalkeeper: Dusty Hudock **Defenders: John Limniatis, Scott Schweitzer,

Mark Watson Mark Andrew Watson (born 13 February 1980) is a British comedian and novelist. Early life Watson was born in Bristol to a Welsh mother and English father. He has younger twin sisters and a brother, Paul. He attended Bristol Grammar School, wh ...

Travis Rinker Travis Rinker (born May 4, 1968, in Huntington, New York) is an American retired professional soccer player. Playing career Rinker was named USISL United Soccer League (USL), formerly known as United Soccer Leagues, is a soccer league i ...

**Midfielders:

Yari Allnutt Yari Allnutt (born February 17, 1970) is an American retired soccer player who played professionally in Mexico and the United States, including the American Professional Soccer League and Major League Soccer. He earned five caps with the United ...

Mauro Biello Mauro Biello (born August 8, 1972) is a Canadian professional assistant coach and former player who has been an assistant coach of the Canada men's national team since 2018. He played as a forward for several Canadian and American lower divisio ...

, Garret Kusch **Forwards:

Mark Baena Mark Baena (born November 27, 1968) is an American former professional soccer player. Baena is the highest goalscorer in the history of USL First Division, where he amassed eighty-six goals. He also holds the record for most goals in a season and ...

, Doug Miller,

*Second Team All League **Goalkeeper:

Paolo Ceccarelli Paolo Ceccarelli (born October 12, 1969) is a Canadian retired soccer player who played as a goalkeeper. He was the 1996 A-League Goalkeeper of the Year. Club Ceccarelli played for the Toronto Jets during his youth. In September 1987, he signed ...

**Defenders: Don Gramenz,

Robert Rosario Robert Michael Rosario (born 4 March 1966) is an English football coach and former professional player. As a player, he was a forward who notably played in the top flight of English football for Norwich City, Coventry City and Nottingham Fore ...

Bill Sedgewick William Sedgewick (born February 11, 1971) is an American former professional soccer player who played both indoors and outdoors. College Born in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, Sedgewick attended Westminster College in Salt Lake City, graduating in 199 ...

, Dian Anguelov **Midfielders: John Smith,

Nick DeSantis Nicolas De Santis (born November 11, 1967) is a former professional soccer player. Club career After beginning his pro career in 1987 with the Montreal Supra of the Canadian Soccer League, he signed for the Montreal Impact in 1993 where he he ...

, Domenic Mobilio **Forwards: Steve Patterson,

Darren Tilley Darren Tilley (born 15 March 1967) is an English football coach and former player. He has coached USL-1 club Rochester Rhinos. Playing career York City Tilley was born in Keynsham, Somerset. He played for York City in the Football League T ...

Mike Gailey Mike Gailey is a retired American soccer player. He played professionally in the National Professional Soccer League and USISL. Youth In 1988, Gailey graduated from Grimsley High School. He attended the University of North Carolina Greensboro ...

References

External links

A-League 1997 Season

{{DEFAULTSORT:A-League 1997 2 1997 in Canadian soccer

1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of t ...